Tony slipped the note free from the ribbon that bound the small box, opened it, and read:
Dear Tony,
You can stop looking for your brother. The truth is, he was a rat who never respected the neighbourhood boundaries. Being my generous self, I’m not going to hold his transgressions against you. To demonstrate how serious I am about renewing peaceable relations between our families, I’m returning something that was with him, but that I know was yours.
Best,
Vinnie the Bull
The bean-shaped mass Tony found inside the box was, ironically, something he’d already gifted once himself—his kidney.
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